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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. wake — a trail
  4. root — of a plant
  5. board — a committee
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. fine — high quality
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. root — of a word
  13. hand — in cards
  14. vault — a safe
  15. root — the cause
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. bear — the animal
  21. fine — all right
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. board — to get on
  24. bear — the animal

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com